Blood and Steel
by Dsiel
Summary: On the surface, it had been an innocuous solo mission into uncharted territory, but now Kakashi was horribly, horribly lost...  Cannon pairings. Rated T for mild innuendos and violence.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

In the moonlight they fought. The darkness impaired neither of them. As one advanced, the other – a silver shock of hair – disappeared, replaced with a log. Before either man could register the change, the wood splintered and hovered in the air for seconds before falling. The red haired demon's eyes widened, surprised. The silver-haired man, hidden in the leaves, let out a breath – if he had taken that blow, it would have sliced him in half. He took a moment to observe the other man. The redhead was facing the opposite direction, breathing slowly, resheathing his sword. The shock of silver hair shook; did the red-haired man really believe it was over? No, the man realized, he was waiting.

Suddenly, five kunai flew out towards the red-haired man. He quickly grabbed the log that he had bruised and shielded himself with it. Angrily, he tossed the quite-dead log aside. "Show yourself," he demanded in a calm voice. A silvery sheen lay on the forest, making it hard for the man to see the difference between moonlit tree and his assailant. The silver-haired man did not, however, come out.

A woman came out. "Kenshin!" she said, walking towards the red-haired man, unperturbed. Kenshin's eyes widened, and he ran for her, but the silver-haired man got there first. "What're you-" the woman said before realizing her predicament.

"One more step and she dies," the silver haired man said, holding her to him. Kenshin's eyes narrowed, and he took his stance. What was this man playing at? In the other man's arms, the woman struggled and made a lot of noise.

"Yeah, right, taking _me_ hostage! I'm Kamiya Kaoru, head of the dojo where we practice Kamiya Kasshin style. Let _go!_" She succeeded in stomping on the man's right foot, making him loose concentration. Kenshin saw his chance and shifted closer, but Kaoru was still in the way. She bit the silver-haired man's left arm and elbowed his right side at the same time, but by that time the silver-haired man had already regained his composure and was cursing his lack of concentration. He wrapped his elbow around her neck and grabbed her right hand at the same time, also holding her left arm to her body with his other arm.

Kenshin was about to draw his blade for a second time when he saw a kunai in the other man's hand, pointing towards Kaoru's belly. "I don't know if you can see this, girl, but perhaps you can feel it." He poked Kaoru gently with the kunai. "I wouldn't move if I were you, unless you _want_ to die." Kenshin shifted back slightly, a little more than a pace away from the silver-haired man and his captive. "And you, Kenshin, was it? Who do you work for?"

Kenshin frowned. Did the man need to _prove_ Kenshin had worked to further the new era? Usually this happened the other way around… But, this silver-haired man was unusual in many ways. "What do you mean?" he said, still tense.

The silver haired man was getting impatient, Kaoru could feel it when he tightened his grip on her. "He works in my dojo! What's so bad about that, huh!" she yelled loudly.

"You're a samurai?" the silver-haired man said, his brows furrowed.

"No," Kenshin admitted quietly, "a Ruroni."

"Why do you have a sword?" the silver haired man wondered aloud.

The woman countered. "Why do you carry knives? Look, weird guy, whoever it is that you're looking for isn't Kenshin, because Kenshin cooks and cleans my dojo in return for staying there. He's just a ruroni."

The silver-haired man paused and then shook his head slightly. He had just realized that these people weren't enemies. They were civilians. The man carrying the sword was probably the local law enforcement, not a ninja as he had first believed. Had these people ever seen ninja like him, from a Hidden Village? It was unlikely. He was a long way from home. Still he held the woman captive, and he could feel others approaching. This could get sticky, fast. He should retreat. "Come with me right now or I cannot guarantee the woman's safety," he said. 'or yours,' he thought. The man flipped the kunai and hit the woman on the head with it in one fluid movement. She sagged in his arms, unconscious.

"Can we not talk this out, here, now?" Kenshin said as the man threw Kaoru over his shoulder. Kenshin kept his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The man ducked and redirected Kenshin's blow before jumping high into the tree branches. "Not if you want her to ever see you alive again," the silver haired man said from the tree tops. "Stay here if you want to die. Then I will hold no regard for her safety. Kaoru, I think." Kenshin grimaced. What on earth was going on here? Follow the man who was trying to kill him just a few seconds ago or he would die? One thing was certain, however. If he did not attempt to follow the silver-haired man, the man would probably kill Kaoru. Once again, she would be in danger because of him. Kenshin sighed and sheathed his sword. "Come on, Yahiko, you can come out now."

The bushes rustled. "Aww…"

The man with the silver hair had been moving quite slowly for some time before the red-haired man had caught up with him, and now he knew why. Trailing after him was a noisy kid and someone far stealthier than either the kid or the red-haired man. Great. Perhaps another enemy? Making a quick decision, he sped up a bit and then stopped in a clearing, taking the time to rig a few traps, just in case. He laid the girl behind him, checking her vitals. She was still out cold. The man with the silver hair then began the waiting game.

When Kenshin caught up to Kaoru's kidnapper, he was slightly out of breath. The man was sitting cross-legged in the middle of a clearing, reading a book. "Kenshin! Wait up! I-uh," the kid said. Kenshin's hand shot out and grabbed the back of Yahiko's yukata.

"Yahiko," Kenshin murmured under his breath without taking his eyes off the silver-haired man. He was a dangerous fighter; Kenshin had fought him with all he had, and the man hadn't tired at all.

Anger flashed in Kenshin's eyes as he slowly approached the man, stopping about halfway between Yahiko and the center of the clearing. He said nothing, but narrowed his eyes. The man smiled, or rather, Kenshin supposed he smiled because of the way his eye crinkled. All that was visible under the man's various garments was a single eye and his silver shock of hair – and indeed, his hair did look shocked. "I was thinking this would be a good place to make camp," the man said. Kenshin faltered.

"What do you want?"

The man's silver eyebrow creased slightly. "I believe we've met under unfortunate circumstances. Perhaps we should introduce ourselves again, this time as fellow travelers." He snapped his book shut and stood, presumably smiling again. Kenshin frowned. What was this guy thinking?

He looked down at Kaoru purposefully. "Travelers headed in the same direction," he mused out loud.

"That's right!" the man spoke again. "Greetings, fellow traveler. You look tired. Fancy some water?" Kenshin looked dubiously at the man and hesitated forward.

"Kenshin!" Yahiko burst out, unable to control himself any longer. "You're not thinking of working with him, are you? Look what he did to Kaoru!"

Kenshin was silent. The only sound in the clearing was Yahiko's breathing and the wind; Kenshin, Kaoru and her kidnapper were all silent. A bird called from a distance.

"Who are you?"

"Huh?" Yahiko said, confused.

"Who are you?" Kenshin said again, leaning forward.

"Noone of consequence," the man said, looking bored. Kenshin stared pointedly at him, but it seemed to have no effect.

Kenshin sighed, tired of being tense. "Is there something we can call you, then?"

The man with the silver hair scratched the back of his head. "Ah." He paused, considering something. "Call me anything you like," he said, thinking he would properly apologize later. That is, if he ever saw Konoha again. He shook his head slightly, chastising himself for losing his focus. For all he knew, he could be behind enemy lines.

Something rustled near the silver-haired man's ankle. He withdrew his ankle just in time, and heard a snapping sound as Kaoru's jaws clamped shut. "You jerk!" she practically screamed. This wasn't good. He turned and grabbed her jaw, pulling her face towards him while taking a knife out of his pack.

"Kaoru!" Yakiko cried.

He was glad he'd tied her arms. "Listen," he said testily, "I am trying to _help_ you, because the people following me would _kill_ you."

She spat in his face.

As he was avoiding getting spit on his eye, he realized his mistake. He half turned and made a frantic hand sign, but Kenshin's blade was too fast. _'This is it,'_ he thought, closing his eye. He shouldn't have let down his guard, even around civilians. The last thing he heard was his bones cracking. " 'ts weird," he slurred before passing out.

Dawn was breaking. Two figures sat near each other, leaning against the tree. "What is going to happen to him?" one asked the other.

"We'll turn him in," snorted the other. "Maybe they'll make him work off his debt!"

"That's unlike you, Kaoru," the first said. A _thwump_ sound could be heard throughout the clearing.

"That's what _I'd_ expect from her," said a third voice.

"Aah!" agreed Kenshin, rubbing his head. "This one never knew you could sneak so well, Sanosuke," he added after a moment. Sanosuke chuckled. It was a skill he'd learned as a street fighter, and he wasn't proud of it.

"So, what _are_ you going to do with him?" Sanosuke asked, anxious to change the topic. The three of them looked towards a slumping man tied to a tree a few yards away.

"He never did say what his name was," Kaoru murmured. For a moment no one spoke. Then, "Whatever, he's just an old man."

"Well, said Kenshin as he stood up, "let's just get him after some sleep; it's been a long night."

"Aye to that," Sanosuke said. "What about the kid?"

Kenshin turned and then smiled. "C'mon, Yahiko, time to go. Hup," he said, pulling the sleeping boy onto his back.

Kakashi opened his eye and grimaced. Breathing hurt. He exhaled slowly and tried to remember why he was tied to a tree. Oh yeah, he had been in combat, and he had gotten hit… why wasn't he dead?

Kakashi went limp and concentrated on his surroundings. Bird songs filled the air, and there was a frog nearby. A frog… Kakashi hadn't noticed any water nearby. It was probably a signal, but he didn't know to what end. He began to pick at the knots that held his wrists. It could be Tenten. Last time Kakashi had faced his rival, Gai had bragged about his student's signaling abilities. Neji was better at recon, though, and if Team Gai was here, than they wouldn't have waited for him to wake up to rescue him. Or maybe it was Sakura… but then again, why would it be Sakura? Heck, Naruto was the one who could summon frogs. Kakashi suppressed a painful sigh as he remembered what had happened. He had been preoccupied with the girl when the guy had gotten him from behind. It had hurt, too. It still hurt as if it had just happened. Kakashi shifted, trying to get a different angle on the knots at his hands. Instead of feeling the slick, sticky smear of blood on his clothes, Kakashi felt a dry burn that shot pain through his side and back.

_What?_

He opened his eye again, and his clothes came into focus. There was no rip or tear. Confusion swept over Kakashi like a tidal wave. As Kakashi's mind reeled, his eyes wondered. He noticed the ground: it was pounded dirt with patches of grass, like a yard. He had gotten hit. He was in the shade. But his clothes weren't ripped or bloodied. There was a fence nearby. That could mean that he was or wasn't bleeding, but at least he wasn't bleeding a lot. The fence was connected to a gate. Kakashi's arm was hurting, too. Next to the gate was a house… Perhaps that was the reason these knots were taking so long to undo. …and sitting on the porch of the house was the red-haired man from before, staring intently at Kakashi's every move.

Kakashi's blood froze and his stomach flipped. His pain-blurred stare became a hardened glare. "What do you want?" he said, or tried to say. What came out was a rather loud and painful sigh. In response, the not-ruroni smiled. Kakashi wasn't sure what the man was, but he definitely wasn't a ruroni – he was too skilled for that. Or maybe Kakashi was just mending his wounded pride. The not-ruroni (It was Kenshin, right?) stood and went inside the house. No, not a house, Kakashi realized – a dojo. Kakashi picked at the knots with his good hand a little more frantically and, thankfully, got one loose enough to pull out. Before he could begin the second knot, Kenshin came back out with the woman, who was holding a cloth and a bowl.

"We've sent for a doctor," she said, coming closer than Kakashi felt comfortable, although that was about five feet away at the moment. Whatever was in the bowl smelled good – it reminded Kakashi how hungry he was. If only he could get in his pack, he could eat the last of the rations he had prepared. Kaoru kept coming. Kakashi tensed his legs and glared. That's what he meant to do, anyway, but a fresh shot of pain lanced up his arm, and he almost passed out again.

"You shouldn't move," Kenshin said, moving closer. He brushed a hand over the katana at his hip. "The sword this one carries doesn't kill, it protects the weak."

And then Kaoru was wiping his eye with the damp rag. "Can I wipe the rest of your face too? Jeez, you are sweating like a dog! Kenshin told me I shouldn't but I know how hot it can get in the summer, and you're wearing all those things on your face." She put the damp rag on his hair and continued without waiting for a response. "Well, we were going to leave you there, but you don't look like you're from here, you know? And then you said people were after you, and you sounded like you were trying to help us, so…" Kaoru held the bowl up to Kakashi's face. "Would you like some curry?" Kakashi leaned his head back until he hit the tree. He was very, very hungry, but it wasn't worth taking his mask off.

"No," he said, turning his head. His side was aching, and his arm felt like it had been stabbed. He tried moving his fingers, but another bout of pain was all he gained for his efforts. He grunted and hardly noticed the cloth fall to the ground.

Kaoru drew back, abashed. "Won't you at least try it?" She paused, waiting for Kakashi to say something, but he couldn't. She continued. "Look, mister, we're trying to help you. _I'm_ trying to help you. I _made_ this curry, and so help me _you will eat it or starve,_ so don't even **mention** how it tastes, because I went through a **lot** of trouble for you, and don't you go thinking I'll do it again, do you hear!" Her voice had steadily risen in volume, and now she was standing over him, looking a lot like a dark-haired Tsunade-sama.

He looked up at her weakly and replied, "Aah." Frustrated, she turned on her heal and left, stammering something about men and food while gesturing violently. A hearty laugh sounded from somewhere near the gate.

"Sanosuke!" Kaoru growled as a warning. Smiling, a rather tall man held his hands out as consolation. Instead of accepting the peace offering, Kaoru took a swipe at Sanosuke, which he avoided. "Aah, so violent!" Sanosuke said, which inflamed Kaoru even more. She charged at him, throwing a lot of punches, and he held her back by her head. "Sagara Sanosuke, you will be in trouble when I'm through with you!"

Kakashi chuckled. He could see Naruto and Hokage Tsunade arguing in the exact same way in a decade or so. He hoped he'd be alive then to see it come to pass.

"Kenshin, Megumi said she'd gather some things before coming over. She's coming this afternoon," Sanosuke said, avoiding Kaoru's shinai now.

"Is that so?" Kenshin said, sitting down just out of Kakashi's range. Kaoru paused and drew her eyebrows together. "Megumi's a doctor," Kenshin continued, talking to Kakashi now. "She's mended this one's wounds before. You'll be in good hands with her, that you will."

"**Who'll be in good hands?**" Kaoru growled before hitting Kenshin from behind.

"Oro!" he said, rubbing his head.

"But it's true, she's a really good doctor. She saved my life once," said a kid coming around a corner. He held a shinai over one shoulder. "Kaoru's just upset because every time Megumi comes over, she makes a move on Kenshin," the boy said with a smile, waggling his eyebrows.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru cried, hitting Kenshin again. "Don't you have training to do?"

"Oro oro!" Kenshin responded again. "That hurts!"

"Sheesh, the kid beat me to it," Sanosuke said.

"Alright, alright! And I'm not a kid! I'm the second best swordsman, got it?" Yahiko yelled over his shoulder, retreating. Sanosuke chuckled, Kaoru fumed, Kenshin smiled and Kakashi sagged, trying not to laugh. 'Forget the decade,' Kakashi thought, 'these people are like my team _now_.'

Kakashi's stomach grumbled, causing everyone left in the yard to glance at him purposefully. Kakashi lowered his head and raised his visible eye in a way that made it almost seem as if he was pleading, if he didn't also look so bored. "I eat alone," he began, trying to explain. After a pregnant pause, some weird looks and another painful gasp, he continued. "A man has his dignity." Kenshin smiled, understanding to a degree. Sanosuke rocked back on his heels, a little surprised.

Before anyone could do anything else, Kaoru was crossing the yard again. "Oh, that is _such_ a stupid reason! You're going to starve, just because-" she growled, and made a swipe at Kakashi's face mask. He ducked right and she missed. He let out a strangled cry and Kaoru paused.

"Do you make all men groan like that, Kaoru?" said a womanly voice from the direction of the gate. Kaoru's face gained a reddish hue and her eyes narrowed. She looked like she had frozen, which Kakashi was grateful for. He suddenly remembered he had one knot more to go, and tugged absently at it.

"Megumi," Kenshin said, waving. Sanosuke slouched towards Kaoru and Kakashi.

Megumi continued, "It sounds painful. Kenshin, I am a much gentler… opponent. Call if you ever have need of me," and drew near to Kenshin. '_She is as they described her_', Kakashi thought. As Megumi began patting Kenshin's hair, ("Oro!"), Kaoru broke her wordless stupor.

"It's not! I wasn't! It wasn't like that," at this point, Kaoru's eyes had begun to shine with unshed tears. "He wouldn't eat, even though he's hungry," the tears were spilling over now, "and what are you talking about, being Kenshin's opponent!" Kaoru finished, growling loudly.

"Heh, you don't look up to taking Hiten Mitserugi, you old fox," Sanosuke said through a spoonful of Kakashi's curry. Megumi gave him a dark look. "Bleh! This is really disgusting," he added.

"Y-you!" Kaoru growled, turning on Sanosuke. He wasn't far enough away to dodge the blow to his head, so he took it. "I thought you would get here this afternoon!" Kaoru continued towards Megumi, flustered.

"Why, I just had to come see Ken-san, I couldn't keep myself away any longer," Megumi explained, hugging Kenshin. ("Ahaha," from Kenshin. His eyes were darting back and forth between the two women.)

Kakashi looked at Sanosuke, who was on the ground. "You don't have much luck with women, do you," he said. Sanosuke's brows furrowed, and he grinned. The newly forming bruise looked like the ones Naruto frequently received from Sakura. Naruto… Kakashi wondered absently what his two remaining students were doing.

"Anyway," Kenshin was saying, "Megumi should probably look at his wounds, now." The words blurred together as Kakashi dealt with a bout of homesickness. He was roughly jerked back to reality with a very, very painful twist in his left side, arm and back. He caught back a noise of anguish just in time, but could not hold back a grunt. His jounin vest was unzipped, and Megumi was pulling gently at his shirt.

"It's sewn all the way around," she was saying. She sounded confused. Kakashi bit back another groan and, just as he wished his arms weren't tied, they were free. He shut his eye and clenched his teeth, preparing himself.

"Kenshin!" he heard a male voice exclaim. Kakashi ignored it. He needed medical attention very badly, and he knew it. He slipped his right arm out of his shirt relatively painlessly, grabbing the end of his sleeve with his teeth. The other sleeve proved more difficult. Groaning, Kakashi whipped his left arm around, grabbed the sleeve with his other hand and pulled. One third of the sleeve slipped over his arm. Chilled hands grasped at his elbow, pulling, helping him, Kakashi realized. As Kakashi willed down another bout of pain, he opened his weary eye. A blur of colors met him as he grabbed at his shirt, pulling it back down around his neck. He didn't want it all the way off, because it was connected to his mask. Heaving a sigh, Kakashi passed out yet again. "This is _not_ good," Megumi said, echoing through his dreams.

4


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Megumi stood and quietly retreated, giving the wounded man some space. He needed sleep now. As she closed the door to his room, a huddle of people looked sheepishly at her. She questioned the group irritably, "What do you want?"

Kaoru spoke first. "How's the old man?"

"Actually, he's not that old," Megumi murmured snappishly, putting her finger to her lips in a plea for silence. She motioned for the group to follow her away. Once she was satisfied with the distance, she turned and said, "He needs sleep, and being noisy won't help." Megumi glanced at Kenshin and amended, "He'll be fine. He just needs to rest for a month or so, and his bones will mend. He'll be able to fight again."

Kenshin smiled. "That's good, this one supposes," he said, thinking.

" 'I suppose'?" Sanosuke grinned. The smile vanished just as quickly as it appeared. "Do you think you'll have to fight him again, Kenshin?"

Kaoru frowned as Kenshin answered. "That is a possibility, yes it is. However, this one thinks that the strange man doesn't have any ill intent, even-"

Kaoru interrupted, "No ill intent! He was going to kill me!"

Kenshin continued, "Yes. But he did not. Instead, he chose to keep you as a hostage, and you proved to be a bit more combative than he anticipated. He may have succeeded if you had not distracted him like that, Kaoru-dono."

Yahiko jumped in, "Don't worry, Kaoru. If that guy so much as puts a finger on you, I'll beat him into the ground. I'll protect you!"

"Yeah right, my own student protecting me," Kaoru retaliated. "-and that's Kaoru-_sensei_ to you, you twerp!"

As Yahiko and Kaoru argued, Sanosuke told Kenshin that he would back Kenshin up if the time came, and Megumi led the group further away from the old man's room – Kaoru and Yahiko were getting louder and louder all the while.

"I'm only your student until I can learn from Kenshin!"

"You'll learn from Kenshin when cows learn to fly, I guess you're stuck with me!"

"I'll show you, I'm going to learn faster than anyone in history!"

Kakashi opened his eye. Where was he again? Oh, yes. There were some people who brought out a doctor… and… there his memory became rather fuzzy. Fearfully, he brought his hand to his face. The mask was still there, although his shirt had been pulled up to his neck. Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. Now to assess his injuries. He inched his injured arm below the blanket that had been spread over him. It still hurt, but it was tolerable now. Kakashi's hand brushed against bandages around his middle. He winced: yep, he probably had a broken rib or two. Gingerly, he felt the bandages on his upper left arm. Kakashi breathed out through his nose and counted the breaks: one, two. They were so close together that it could have been one shattered break. He was no medic, though, so he didn't know for sure. He closed his eye for a second. He had a broken arm and a couple of broken ribs. How? He had been wounded with a sword, but he hadn't bled. Kakashi decided that the swordsman, Kenshin, had probably struck him with the flat of his blade. A cold feeling settled over Kakashi as he realized that they had wanted him alive, and they had succeeded. Well, that was that.

He scanned the room he was in. His weapon pouch had been laid out on a low table not far from where he was. Near his head was a pot and a wet rag, and beyond that were some unused bandages. Kakashi turned his head towards the source of light – the paper-thin wall containing a sliding door was across the room, nearest his feet. The lamp in the room was put out, in order to let him sleep, Kakashi supposed. It was time to get up now, he decided.

Kakashi leaned heavily on his right arm and slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. He rested there for a moment, leaning on his arm for support, and then flipped onto his knees. As he attempted to take a step, a bout of dizziness assaulted him. He wavered there, crouched over his right hand and knee, for a few seconds before rising to his full height. Looking down, Kakashi discovered he still had his shruiken holster strapped to his thigh. He checked it: It still had his weapons in it. Kakashi shrugged, or tried to. He wasn't going to question a gift. Next, he needed to check his weapon pouch and its contents.Stumbling, Kakashi made his way over to the table in question. He started to lean down, but thought better of it, and bent his knees instead. Ah, yes, there it was. Kakashi smiled as he brought out the small, worn-out orange book. _Icha Icha Tactics _was his favorite piece of literature. A further investigation revealed all his weapons exactly where he had placed them – nothing had been disturbed. Kakashi tried to strap his on weapon pouch with one hand, and after a moment of fumbling and rearranging, it was around his waist where it belonged.

Kakashi surveyed the room once more. All in all, it was a pretty barren room. Kakashi found water in the pot he had seen earlier, and used the rag to wet his hair and neck and, very carefully, his forehead and eyes. After replacing the rag and pulling his headband back over his left eye, he decided it was time go out. But first, he should do something about his shirt hanging loose around his neck. Kakashi decided to cut the shirt away from the mask and, although it was awkward, he succeeded. 'Okay, almost as good as new,' Kakashi thought to himself, stretching his neck. 'Let's find out who they are and what they want.' With that, he pushed the sliding door aside and blinked into the daylight.

It was afternoon, judging by the position of the sun and amount of heat in the air. Kakashi made a mental note of which way was East: he had left Konoha, his homeland, going west, so it made sense to head east to find it again. Kakashi surveyed the yard. Kenshin greeted Kakashi with a smile and a "Good morning." He was standing near a stump, chopping wood with his sword. Kenshin was holding the sword up-side down, however. Kakashi watched as Kenshin split the log with a clean cut. '_That explains it,'_ he thought. The sword that Kenshin held was sharp on the wrong side so that, when Kenshin drew it from its scabbard, the sharp side would be facing Kenshin himself. It was like using a club, Kakashi reasoned. A thin, metal club with a scabbard.

Intrigued, Kakashi asked, "What kind of sword is that?" He scratched the edge of the bruise on his side, remembering the confusion his wound had caused him.

"This one wields a Sakabatou," Kenshin replied, reaching for another log. "It doesn't kill, that it doesn't."

When Kenshin didn't continue, Kakashi asked, "Why?"

Kenshin replied just as criptically. "Hmm?"

Kakashi sighed, a little frustrated. "Why doesn't the Sakabatou kill?" he amended, even though an answer was obvious. Kakashi hoped that he might learn something extra in the asking.

Kenshin was silent for a bit before speaking again. "To atone for one's sins, this one must wield this blade to protect people," Kenshin said quietly, looking down. Kakashi couldn't quite see his eyes, but he wasn't sure he really wanted to see them. Kenshin's head popped up, and he was bubbly again, "That is why this one stays here in the Kamya Kasshin dojo, to protect Miss Kaoru-dono, yes it is." Kenshin's next question caught Kakashi off-guard. "Why is it that you did not kill, when you are trained to?"

Kakashi's mind whirled at the implications of Kenshin's question and ran through his options. 'I wasn't ordered to.' No, then Kenshin would know Kakashi hadn't gone rouge, that he was still working for Hokage Tsunade. 'It wasn't convenient.' No, that made him sound heartless, and like he had something specific to carry out. _'He knows I've been trained to kill,'_ Kakashi slowly realized. He'd have to be careful. All the same, Kakashi answered, "I've seen death too many times to take it lightly." _'Let him think what he likes,'_ Kakashi thought to himself.

Kenshin nodded and seemed to understand. "So, what is it that you are here for?" he asked.

"Oh, it isn't all that important," Kakashi replied, without skipping a beat. "Would you like me to cook or clean for everyone, while I am here? I don't like to impose, and I think I'm through resting for now." It was true, really. Kakashi was beginning to feel antsy, and he needed something to do while he recovered. Sleeping wasn't his thing.

Kenshin perked up a bit, which surprised Kakashi: he hadn't thought that the man could be any more perky than he was already being. "Yes," he said almost immediately. "Would you cook for us tonight? After all, it's not hard to cook better than- AAH!" Kaoru came out of nowhere, kicking Kenshin in the head. "Oro," Kenshin groaned from the ground.

Kaoru looked like a breaking storm. "Who is it easy to cook better than, huh!"

Kakashi chuckled. Kaoru really did remind him of Tsunade-sama. His laugh was cut short, however, as Kaoru turned her murderous intent in his direction.

"You think you can cook better than me, huh? Well, consider it a challenge, you punk!"

Kakashi put his hands up in front of him as a gesture of goodwill and peace. Well, he held his right hand up. He heard Kenshin murmur from the ground, "Miss Kaoru-dono," but he didn't get farther than that.

Kaoru interrupted Kenshin and pointed a finger at Kakashi. "Dinner! Tonight! Let's do this!" she yelled at him before stalking off.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi said to Kenshin, laughing.

In response, Kenshin let out one last "Oro," and then stood up again, ready to continue chopping wood.

"Well, looks like I've got my work cut out for me," Kakashi said as he left. He still had some rations, but not much else… Kakashi would either have to go hunting, or…

Kakashi entered the woods outside of town and picked a stakeout point. He hadn't bothered to be stealthy until now, choosing instead to conserve his energy. After all, he didn't need to hide to conceal his presence from the locals anymore, he thought, tugging the yukata he had borrowed. Kakashi blended in quite nicely, and if he left the yukata untucked, it would also conceal his weapon pouch.

The forest was a different matter entirely, however. In order to catch an animal, Kakashi would need to mask his presence. Kakashi settled in and waited. After some time, a rustle in the foliage signaled an animal. A doe, Kakashi realized. He was about to spring for it when a fawn bounded out from behind its mother, bleating and stumbling over its too-large legs. Kakashi lowered his kunai and relaxed. He wouldn't kill the mother or her fawn. They reminded him of the children that he had tried to raise up into ninjas. Kakashi paused, thinking again of his three students. He had passed them off to other teachers, because he had taught them all he was able to. Well, he had taught them all he was willing to teach them. Kakashi hoped that what he had taught them would be enough. He grimaced, knowing that it wouldn't. Sasuke was bent on revenge, after all, and Kakashi knew he couldn't teach Naruto or Sakura any more. They each specialized in things he knew little about.

'_Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, please be all right,_' he thought, and stood abruptly. The doe dashed away, her fawn not far behind her. Exhaling, Kakashi decided he'd try his luck with fishing instead. This wouldn't even be a problem if the dojo had any stock of food at all…

"Eh-heh-heh-heh," Kenshin heard from behind a door. He paused for a moment; it was probably Kaoru. What was she doing alone in there? Stepping lightly, he leaned closer to the doorway. "Kenshin!" Kaoru said loudly, pulling the door open.

Kenshin lost his balance, "Oro!" and tumbled inside, knocking over a couple of bowls and a vase of water.

"What're you doing?" demanded Kaoru. Kenshin hurriedly reached for the vase and pulled it up, hoping that not _all_ the contents had been spilt. "Aah, the ingredients!" Kaoru cried, bringing her hands to her face.

"Sorry," Kenshin apologized, and lifted his sandal out of a bowl of rice. By this time, Kenshin's face was very red. He had been caught eavesdropping, and now he was making a mess of everything. A quick glance at Kaoru confirmed it; she was terrifyingly angry, and Kenshin immediately put down the bowls he had been righting and backed away. "This one is very sorry, yes indeed," he said, hoping to mollify her.

"Get out!" she screamed, throwing overturned bowls at him as he hurriedly left the room. The sliding door slammed shut behind him.

Yahiko walked by, then, with his shinai on his shoulder. "She's been like that all morning," he complained. "She won't teach me any new techniques. Hey, Kenshin-"

"This one will not teach you Hiten Mitserugi, Yahiko. A killing sword does not need to be passed on," Kenshin said, cutting off Yahiko's request.

"Aww, come on," Yahiko whined, "I wasn't even to that part yet. I just wanted to know if we're going to have lunch soon!"

"I-is that so?" Kenshin said, thinking of the pile of food that had surrounded Kaoru. Somehow, he knew that there was no lunch to be had in the dojo today. "Say, Yahiko, let's go out for lunch today."

Kakashi sat on the ground, frustrated. He had been planning on cooking the fish he had caught, but that wasn't happening. Instead, it was like he didn't have any chakra at all. He tried the fire-type jutsu again, but to no avail. Something was definitely wrong here. Kakashi made the release sign, in case he was in a genjutsu – an enemy's illusion. He tried the jutsu again. Nothing. Kakashi's eye narrowed, thinking. He had noticed his fire-type jutsus had been weakening the further he got from Konoha, his home country, but they had at least worked a little. Kakashi made the handsigns for a jutsu he himself had invented. It was lightning-based, and sounded like a flock of birds – thus its name, the Chidori.

However, instead of a very bright crackling ball of electricity, Kakashi held in his hand… nothing. His fingers tingled a little bit. What was going on here?

Himura Kenshin was not a man who loved violence. All the same, he found death everywhere he went. It was, admittedly, partially because of his sense of justice that he gained enemies. However, when Himura Kenshin found himself being interrogated by two strange, seemingly magic men, it was not because his sense of justice had been offended. Indeed, the two violent creatures – Kenshin thought them stranger than men – were looking for someone else. Someone they called Kakashi, the "copy-cat-ninja". Slowly, as the two described this Kakashi, Kenshin realized they were also describing the man Kenshin had recently fought.

Kenshin's face remained impassive as he realized this, and he began to take in details that he could ask the grey-haired man about later. "So, assuming you find this Kakashi, what will you do?" he asked cautiously.

"Kill 'em," growled the closer one, who looked like a young, hotheaded hoodlum.

The one with the mask flicked his wrist and said, "It is none of your concern." The first hissed in pain and rubbed his elbow, glaring at the masked one.

Kenshin's brow creased. This put him in an awkward position. Why would these men want to kill Kakashi? Was he a bad person? No, if these men were going to capture Kakashi for his crimes, the police would have been searching for Kakashi as well, and then Kakashi would already be in jail. Kenshin kept his smile plastered to his face. "Might this one be so bold as to ask what you two have against that man? Kakashi, wasn't it?"

The hoodlum leered and the masked one made an exhaling sort of noise. "He is of no use to us," the hoodlum advised. "Let me kill him."

"Shiba, you're too quick," the masked one drawled. Shiba turned away from Kenshin, his face unreadable. "He knows more than he is telling… he was able to sense us, after all. Let us… find out if he is a ninja," the masked one explained, sounding amused. Kenshin's eyes narrowed as Shiba turned back to face him with a dark, feral smile on his face.

"What do you intend to do?" Kenshin all but demanded. The masked one had the gall to laugh before holding his hands in front of him and disappearing. Kenshin's eyes widened and he fell into a fighting stance, preparing for a lunging attack from Shiba. Shiba, however, was nowhere to be seen. 'Strange,' Kenshin thought, shifting his eyes around. He knew that their intentions were to fight him, or at least test him somehow…

Kenshin had barely finished the thought when a hand erupted from the ground and made a grab for his ankle. Luckily, Kenshin was faster than the hand – but not by much. He felt the fingertips pull at the fabric of his socks. It was too close for comfort. Kenshin kept backpedaling and loosened his Sakabatou, ready to fight. It was not a moment too soon. Shiba shot out from where the hand had been, rising up to tackle Kenshin. Kenshin drew immediately and, just as Shiba's knees lunged out of the dirt, Kenshin unsheathed and attacked in the same movement. Shiba's hand grabbed out and caught Kenshin's sleeve, and Kenshin's blow caught Shiba full-on in the face. Shiba was knocked back, but he still had an iron grip on Kenshin's sleeve, and so Kenshin stumbled forward also, as gracefully as he could.

Kenshin wrenched back and Shiba let go of his sleeve, vying instead to hold his broken and abused face. "Come out," Kenshin shouted, turning slightly. "This one knows you are there. Why won't you face this one directly?"

"Surely I won't have to," the masked man said, appearing to drop out of the tree branches. "Right, Shiba?"

Kakashi had tried about half of his jutsus when he heard her panicked cry. He was a little tired, but not by much, since most of what he had tried hadn't worked. Even so, he managed to locate Kaoru in a matter of seconds.

"Yo," he said, stepping out from behind a tree. Kaoru suppressed a scream and turned to face Kakashi, flustered and angry. Her breath caught.

"You! If Kenshin's gone for good this time, it's your fault!" Kaoru pointed an accusing finger at Kakashi, daring him to contradict her.

"…Ah," Kakashi said, not wanting to incriminate himself further. "I've been fishing," he managed. Kaoru spared the fish a disgusted glance. When he didn't continue, she became upset.

"You don't even care, do you!" she cried, pausing before turning back the way she had come.

"Kaoru," Kakashi said at once, reaching for her shoulder. "How long has it been since you've seen him?" She frowned. Kakashi pushed ahead. "If Kenshin truly intends to leave, then he can't have gotten far. I saw him this morning, just as you did. Now, you'll find Kenshin faster if more people are searching for him. Are you searching alone?"

"I'm not a child," Kaoru snapped, glaring again. Belatedly, Kakashi realized that he had used a tone of voice that he reserved for his students, who were twelve.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying to separate Sakura and Kaoru in his mind. This situation was way too close to home for him, and it was hard for Kakashi not to view Kenshin as Sasuke, the student who had defected and run away. "I-I'll help you look."

Kaoru still looked a bit angry, but she let the apology pass. "I last saw him in the dojo, when he stepped in the food I was… making…" Kaoru slowed, realizing she had hidden all the food from Kakashi, and had practically admitted it. Kakashi narrowed his visible eye slightly, but did nothing more. "It was around lunchtime," she hurried on. "Kenshin took Yahiko to eat, and when Yahiko got back, he was surprised Kenshin didn't get to the dojo before him."

"Okay, that's where we're going," Kakashi said, dropping his fish where he stood. They were no good uncooked, anyway. "Take me to the potential restaurants, quickly," Kakashi said, walking ahead of Kaoru.

Kenshin's fight continues. Will Kakashi show up in time? What have Sanosuke and Yahiko been doing? Will they arrive before Kakashi does? And _what will happen to the fish?_ Find out next time, in Blood and Steel!

4


	3. Glossary

THIS IS RELATIVELY IMPORTANT.

I noticed that the endnotes I use in MS word aren't preserved when I upload the story quite a while ago, but was undecided as to how I would deal with it. Well, I've decided to use an alphabetized glossary as a temporary solution. If you have an idea that would work better, send me a message or review.

ALSO, if you only read one of these series and are confused about a bit of terminology, let me know and I'll add it to the glossary. I'll be posting an updated version of the glossary every time I post a new chapter, so please check it if there's something confusing in the newest chapter. Other than that, I will try to be as clear as possible.

Thank you for your time.

~Dsiel

Chakra - Where Kakashi comes from, chakra is made up of mental and physical energies in the body.

Chuunin – a rank in Kakashi's world, kind of like the military. See 'Jounin'.

Dojo - A dojo is a place for practicing fighting styles and techniques, mostly used in the east. Some older and more devoted dojos are big enough to live in.

-dono - a suffix denoting respect. It has something to do with Kaoru being Kenshin's landlady.

Genin – a rank in Kakashi's world, kind of like the military. See 'Jounin'.

Genjutsu – see 'Jutsu'. Genjutsu is usually easy to dispel, if one notices and has the knowledge.

Hand signs - Genjutsu and ninjutsu require handsigns to mold the chakra. The best ninja can mold chakra without handsigns.

Hiten Mitserugi - Kenshin's style of swordplay. It refers to a series of sword moves that deal specifically with speed, like sheathing your sword and using the friction of unsheathing it again to gain extra speed. It is useful for battling many enemies at once.

Hokage - 'Hokage' is the title given to the strongest ninja of a village, kind of like a President. The current Hokage is Tsunade. See 'Jounin' and 'Tsunade'.

Jounin - a rank in Kakashi's world, kind of like the military. Ranks are as such from lowest to highest: Genin, Chuunin, Jounin, Saanin, and Hokage. The Hokage is the strongest in the village and acts kind of like a mayor.

Jutsu - Ninja use jutsu by manipulating a form of energy known as chakra. Jutsu vary greatly in purpose, falling into three categories: taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu. Taijutsu is the set of all physical attacks. Genjutsu refers to illusions. Ninjutsu covers everything that taijutsu and genjutsu doesn't, including manipulating elements.

Kamiya Kasshin - The phrase 'Kamiya Kasshin style' refers to the exact fighting style that Kaoru's dojo teaches. Kaoru's surname is Kamiya, so Kamiya Kasshin is probably one of Kaoru's male ancestors.

Konoha - Kakashi's home country.

Kunai - A Kunai is a type of throwing knife with a loop at the end of the handle.

Meiji Era – the time period of Rurouni Kenshin and this fan fiction. Kenshin worked as an assassin to further the installment of the Meiji Era.

Missing-nin – When a ninja goes rogue, they are called missing-nin. They are usually very dangerous, and are treated as criminals.

Ninja – a Konoha ninja is a different concept from a real world ninja. Kakashi's type of ninja wear headbands with identifying symbols on them and practice 'ninjutsu' which resembles magic. 'Ninja' is the plural form of 'ninja'.

Oniwabanshuu – a group of ninjas who Kenshin fought. The five remaining members later died while protecting Kenshin and Aoshi from a gatling gun.

Oro - 'Oro' is Kenshin's way of saying 'ouch'. It is also an expression of surprise.

Rurouni - roughly translated as 'wanderer'; basically a bum.

Sakabatou – the type of sword Kenshin carries. It has a reverse-blade so that when one draws it, its cutting edge faces backwards towards the user.

–sama - a suffix denoting respect for someone like a boss. Also see 'Hokage'.

Samurai - noble fighters of feudal Japan.

Senbon – needle-like projectiles that ninja use as throwing implements.

Sharingan – an eye technique that exists in Kakashi's world. Although it is specific to the Uchiha clan, Kakashi's left eye has the sharingan technique. He received it as a gift from his teammate who was dying.

Shinai - A shinai is a practice sword made of bamboo. Yahiko uses a shinai.

Taijutsu – see 'Jutsu'. One could assume that Taijutsu is unarmed combat, but for the purposes of this fan fiction, Taijutsu will be combat without the use of chakra.

Tsunade - Kakashi's superior. She can be very intimidating when she wants to be. She is also referred to as Hokage Tsunade, 'Hokage' being her title and '-sama' being her honorific.

Wakazashi – a type of short sword, sometimes worn on one's back.

Yukata - A yukata is a formal type of Japanese clothing for males. (It's formal now but was casual in Kenshin's time.) It is a short robe, worn as a shirt. It is usually tucked into pants or tied with a belt of cloth.


End file.
